


High Spirits

by hyacinth (Lexa_Alycia)



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon), The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chapter 9 of Zero but works on its own as a oneshot, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Friday the 13th, Hurt/Comfort, Infinity Train AU, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27547954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexa_Alycia/pseuds/hyacinth
Summary: Under a blue moon, Luz and Amity encounter a fiery headless horseman, a vicious grim wolf, and a mischievous ghost.
Relationships: Amity Blight & Luz Noceda, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	High Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: This is chapter 9 of my ongoing fanfic Zero, that works as a standalone piece. If you'd like to read that first, please do! Amazing artwork by [@ashesofking](https://www.instagram.com/ashesofking/)!!! please check out the rest of her awesome work on Instagram.
> 
> As always, thanks to Theatrical72 for beta reading. Check out their toh future fic if you haven't already!!! Uploaded in honor of Friday the 13th. Enjoy!

The forest was nearly silent, save for the swaying of branches in the trees, and the crunching of leaves underfoot as Luz and Amity carefully picked their way across fallen logs and uneven dips in the ground. The ground was mushy, covered in equal parts mud and moss. To Amity’s displeasure, when they had first entered the train car hours ago she had taken a wrong step and got her foot stuck in the sunken ground for five minutes as Luz struggled to pull her free. After much effort, a few choice curse words courtesy of Amity, and a heated debate on whether or not to abandon the sneaker, Luz managed to pull Amity’s foot out of the squelchy mud with a wet pop, nearly falling over in the process.

From the onset, the dark forest was bathed in an ethereal glow from the blue moon that shined from high above. The sky was devoid of stars, the moon provided their only source of light. Everything was shrouded in a dense grey fog that made it difficult to see further than 10 feet in front of them. The air was crisp and cool, with the temperature gradually dropping the longer they walked.

Luz and Amity stayed close, no more than two feet away from each other, as both passengers found themselves increasingly unnerved by the inherent eeriness of the train car they found themselves in. They had yet to run into anyone, denizen or passenger. And, if Luz was being honest with herself, she felt scared. She sensed they were being watched, and her neck prickled with goosebumps. The jagged wooden teeth that sprouted from the hollow insides of the trees that surrounded them did nothing to dissuade her uneasiness. And, to make matters worse, Luz and Amity had come across several mutated woodland animals with large eyeballs placed randomly on their bodies. Luz had screeched when one ran across her feet, scrambling back in terror. 

Nervous tingles went up and down Luz’s spine and she tried in vain to focus on putting one step in front of the other. Absentmindedly, she fiddled with the watch on her wrist, twisting it in a familiar and comforting fashion. It almost never failed to help ground her in times of trepidation. Suddenly, a whispered shout startled Luz out of her musings.

“Luz!”

“What?” Luz raised her head and turned to face Amity, not noticing the low-hanging tree branch in her path.

_WHAP!_

“Ow!” The branch hit Luz’s forehead with a sharp sting, and sent her sprawling to the floor. 

She heard footsteps approach her prone form, and the tired sigh that followed.

“This is the sixth time in the last two days that you've neglected to watch where you were going,” Amity looked down at Luz with an irritated expression, lips pressed together. 

Luz sat up, and rubbed her forehead with a wince. She could already feel a bump beginning to form. Nevertheless, she looked up at Amity with a cheerful smile.

“You’ve been keeping track?” Luz leaned forward, tilting her head inquiringly.

Amity scoffed, taking a step back, and crossed her arms. 

“C’mon, get up. We need to find somewhere to stay for the night, it’s only getting colder.”

This wasn’t the first time she had dodged one of Luz’s questions, or amiable attempts at banter. Amity turned and stalked off, disappearing into the dense fog. Luz rose quickly to her feet and followed her, not wanting to be left behind.

The past two days with Amity had been slightly awkward at the best of times and horribly tense at worst. Even though Luz was immensely glad she wasn’t traveling alone anymore, Amity made… _interesting_ company, to put it lightly. Any attempt at conversation that wasn’t relevant to traversing a train car or unlocking exit doors was promptly squashed or completely ignored. The green-haired passenger hardly spoke a word unless she deemed it necessary. At first, Luz figured Amity was still salty about the Colosseum Car _incident_. But, despite her apology when they first set off together and best efforts to be friendly, like giving Amity some space at the beginning of their shared journey, it was like she had hit a roadblock. 

Amity’s standoffish attitude was different from Willow’s- who was initially skeptical of Luz, but grew to befriend her over the week they had spent together. It was clear from the get go that Willow cared deeply for Gus, hence her protectiveness and guarded attitude. Amity on the other hand, was far more aloof. She didn’t seem to care for anything besides making it through each train car they passed through.

Luz couldn’t figure out for the life of her why Amity was so cold. Was she still holding a grudge from their initial meeting? Did her detached demeanor have anything to do with the large watermelon Luz may or may not have accidentally dropped on her foot the other day? Or was the root cause something else entirely? Regardless, Luz was determined to crack the case. She had seen how much it affected Amity to have to say goodbye to her friend, Lilith. Clearly, they had been close- so she was capable of developing relationships with other people, despite her best efforts to circumvent forming any semblance of one with Luz. 

Luz felt a sudden surge of guilt for having been the reason for their separation, but did her best to push it back down. Lilith herself had insisted it was for the best. 

And it had been… right?

“Hey, I think I found something.”

Amity’s sharp voice stirred Luz out of her thoughts. She looked up from where she had been watching the path in front of her and towards her companion. Amity was pointing to a whirl of grey smoke rising in the air. Luz’s eyes widened and she perked up.

“Amazing! Looks like we’ll have somewhere to spend the night after all!” Luz grinned at Amity, who returned her gaze with a neutral look.

“We’ll see about that.”

With that, Amity began walking towards their new destination, leaving Luz gawking after her. Luz bit down her disappointment at Amity’s less than eager reaction. She got to her feet and tried to stay positive as she walked through the forest.

_If I could crack Willow, I can definitely befriend Amity! I just need to get on her good side somehow._

Luz spared a glance at her companion, whose focus was directed on the narrow trail front of her. As if sensing Luz’s eyes on her, Amity turned to meet her gaze with a raised eyebrow. Caught in the act, Luz flushed and quickly turned away. She shook her head, smacking her forehead with her hand.

_Okay, first step: Stop weirding her out._

They walked for about 10 more minutes until they finally came out of the forest into a large clearing. The fog from earlier had cleared somewhat, improving their visibility.

In the middle of the clearing was a dilapidated three story mansion that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. It was painted white with a brown tiled roof. The paint was cracked and completely missing in several places. The wooden panels were chipped and worn down. The curtains were shuttered and there weren’t any lights on. Even so, Luz noticed a faint tendril of smoke rise out of the chimney. Someone was inside. 

To the left of the house was a large cemetery, surrounded by black metal fencing with barbed wire strung along the top. A broken gate with torn off hinges left its entrance wide open. Past the entrance was a small church. Save for the rustling of wind through the trees, all was quiet.

Luz felt a creeping sense of dread… as if she wasn’t supposed to be here. Her stomach flip-flopped and she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. For some reason, the house and cemetery were incredibly unsettling to take in. Luz felt like it was beyond their appearance, and that there was something inherently foreboding about the scene before her. The blue moon cast long creeping shadows against the clearing. She was about to voice her discomfort to Amity when the girl in question spoke up.

“I don’t like this place,” Amity narrowed her eyes. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

Luz was quick to agree.

“Yeah!” Her voice cracked. “Should we keep walking then?”

Amity nodded, turning to face Luz.

“Let’s go--” Amity froze. Her eyes widened in horror. “Luz. Don’t turn around,” She whispered.

Luz felt her stomach drop. Her hands began to sweat, even though it must’ve been 50°F (10°C) out. She had never seen Amity’s cool facade crack-- even when they were chased by those miniature sword-wielding gnomes yesterday. Whatever had caused the palpable fear in her eyes couldn’t be anything good. 

“Amity,” Luz swallowed nervously. “What’s wrong?”

A horse neighed, shattering the silence of the night.

Against her better judgement, Luz turned around. She immediately yelped, backpedaling until she bumped into Amity, who steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. 

Before them was, of all things they could have possibly encountered, a headless horseman. He was seated on a tall, inky black horse, wearing an emerald suit and long black boots. In his gloved right hand was a flaming pumpkin wearing a crooked grin and hollow eyes with a mischievous glint to them. The horse’s eyes were a ghostly white, and as it huffed it blew red-orange flames from its nostrils.

Amity’s grip on Luz tightened.

“What do we do?” Luz whispered into Amity’s ear. 

Amity flinched as Luz’s warm breath ghosted the shell of her ear, but she collected herself.

“We make a break for the house on my signal,” She murmured back. 

Luz’s brows furrowed in confusion. She shifted closer to Amity, but not because she was frightened or worried about their predicament (she certainly was).

“What are you--”

“Now!” Amity shouted. She turned and grasped Luz’s hand, tugging her forward as she took off at breakneck speed towards the mansion. 

The headless horseman spurred his horse into action. He gave chase, hooves clomping loudly behind them. This only made Amity quicken her pace, pulling Luz along as she panted heavily behind her. As they reached the mansion, Amity dropped Luz’s hand and approached the front door. She didn’t hesitate to try opening the door, but it didn’t budge. She huffed in frustration.

“Of course it’s locked,” She groaned, running a hand through her hair.

Luz bounced on her feet nervously. She looked behind them but the headless horseman had stopped right at the edge of the mansion’s property line. He was watching them, his blood red eyes shined brightly in the darkness.

“Maybe there’s a key under the doormat?” Luz suggested.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Amity rolled her eyes and slumped against the wall adjacent to the front door. “Like it’d be that easy.”

Luz shrugged and walked up to the front door. She bent down and carefully flipped the mat over. Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise, and she picked up an old silver key from the ground. Luz flipped the mat back over and stood up.

“Looks like it was,” She waved the key teasingly in front of Amity.

Amity snatched the key from her hands.

“Hey!” Luz cried out.

“Quit goofing off, let’s just get inside,” Amity answered over her shoulder as she unlocked the door. She pushed it open and walked through the entrance, with Luz close behind.

“She couldn’t take a joke if her life depended on it,” Luz muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Amity’s voice asked challengingly.

“Nothing!” Luz squeaked.

Once they were both inside, the door slammed shut behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. It was silent for a moment and then-

“Was that you?”

“No,” Luz whispered. “I don’t suppose that was you either?”

“Luz, I was in front of you,” Amity sighed.

“Right,” Luz nodded. “I knew that.”

“Well,” Amity drawled. “This should be fun.”

Thinking quickly, Luz patted her pockets, searching for her phone. Finally, she found it.

“Aha!” Luz turned on her phone and tapped the flashlight icon. 

She shined it right into Amity’s eyes.

“Watch where you point that thing!” Amity scolded. She winced and turned away, blinking rapidly to adjust to the new source of light.

“Oops,” Luz rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Amity slipped her backpack off her shoulders and dug around for her cellphone until she found it at the bottom of the bag, tangled with her headphone’s cord. She pulled it out, closing her backpack and putting it on again as she turned on the device. Soon enough, there were two sweeping beams of light in the mansion.

“Stay close, we don’t know if this place is safe yet,” Amity instructed.

Luz nodded. Both passengers swept through the foyer on the mansion, their footsteps making the wooden floorboards creak. While it had been extremely cold outside, the inside of the mansion was lukewarm. This struck Luz as odd because it seemed like the power was out. Their phone lights revealed cobwebs hanging in the corners of the foyer, along with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the room. There were several doors on either side of them, with large windows across from the entrance revealing the backyard. A spiral staircase was placed in front of the windows, leading to the upper floors. Clearing her throat, Luz glanced at Amity and decided to address the elephant in the room.

“If there was smoke coming from the chimney inside, shouldn’t there be someone in here?”

Amity paused for a moment, and then continued walking.

“Maybe,” She flashed her light against a wall, revealing a portrait of an portly old man in a tophat and grey suit. “If anyone lives here, they might be out. Hopefully we don’t run into anyone and can rest for a few hours before taking off again.”

Luz hummed in affirmation, and continued sweeping the foyer with Amity. They tried opening several doors, but they were all locked, save for one. Amity stepped through first and Luz followed. They had found the main dining room. There was a large ornate wooden table with several chairs on either side. At the ends of the table were high-backed chairs meant for the hosts. Strangely enough, the dining table was clear of dust and was set with cutlery and napkins. Amity frowned, but continued walking across the room to the door on the other side. Luz lagged behind, noticing a newspaper placed on the seat of one of the chairs.

“Amity, I think I found something,” Luz picked up the old newspaper, blowing off a layer of dust as she held it to her eyes.

Amity back walked over and peered over Luz’s shoulder to get a good look at what she was holding. On the front page was a photo of a flipped over blackened car, it looked completely unsalvageable. They read the article that accompanied the photo together in silence. 

**Thornwood Gazette, April 1, 1979**

**QUESTIONS RAISED IN LOCAL DEATH**

**By: Jeremiah P. Thompson**

_A coroner’s inquest has returned a verdict of accidental death in last week’s Primrose Ave. fatality. Miss Elizabeth J. Renneker, 25, was traveling east on the morning of March 23 when her car swerved through the barriers protecting a construction site on the De Marcos bridge and crashed into the ravine below, catching fire. Miss Renneker was killed instantly upon impact. Her sister, Mrs. Kimberly Fowler, wife of the prominent manufacturer, provided evidence that Miss Renneker suffered from severe headaches affecting her vision. In response to questioning, she denied any possibility of intoxication as Miss Renneker did not drink…_

“Interesting story, but irrelevant to us,” Amity commented.

“I don’t know about that,” Luz scratched her head. “This is the only thing we’ve found here besides dust and fancy furniture. It could be important!” 

“I doubt it,” Amity waved a hand and turned away, shining her phone light to the other side of the room. “C’mon, let’s see what’s behind door number two.”

Begrudgingly, Luz placed the newspaper back where she had found it and caught up to Amity. Amity placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted. To their surprise, it popped right off and when she pulled her hand away, the knob came with it. 

“Uh…,” Amity was at a loss for words. 

She looked down at her hand, where the number 120 glowed brightly under the clear crystal doorknob. She had noticed it decreased from 137 after saying goodbye to Lilith, though she wasn’t completely sure as to why. Luz was about to speak up when the door creaked open, despite being broken. Amity raised a brow questioningly.

“Well, that’s convenient,” She muttered under her breath.

Amity stepped through the door, dropping the door knob on the ground. One hand held her phone and the other was raised defensively. She was extremely wary of the mansion, it creeped the hell out of her and she wouldn’t be surprised if they ran into a dangerous denizen like they had outside. 

They stepped into a large living room. In the corner, a warm fire crackled inside a red brick chimney, lighting the dwelling so that the portraits hanging on the wall were visible. To Amity and Luz’s discomfort, each of the portraits had their eyes scratched out.

“That’s a sight for sore eyes,” Luz joked.

Amity ignored the comment and plopped down on an armchair by the fire. She leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes. Luz remained by the door, standing awkwardly and twisting her wristwatch.

“Um, are you sure we should just make ourselves home here?” Luz shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

Amity cracked an eye open.

“Not at all. But we don’t have anywhere else to rest that’s not cold as hell. I say we rest here for at least an hour and then move on. It’s better than collapsing in the woods from exhaustion when it’s 50°F (10°C) out.”

Luz acquiesced, reasoning that what Amity had said made sense. She joined her by the fireplace and sat on the edge of an armchair opposite of her. While Amity had already closed both her eyes and was melded into her armchair, Luz felt too tense to relax. Her right foot tapped incessantly against the carpeted floor and her eyes bounced around the room, expecting something to jump out at the drop of a hat.

Enjoying horror movies and venturing through haunted houses back home in Los Angeles was one thing, but staying in one brought on an entirely different feeling. She was on the edge of her seat, literally and figuratively, waiting for the other shoe to drop. After a few minutes, Amity sighed and spoke up, eyes still closed.

“I can hear you, y’know.”

“Sorry.”

Luz stopped her tapping. She tried to lean back comfortably into the armchair but her nerves remained. Just as she closed her eyes, her ears picked up on faint music coming through the open doorway. It sounded like a piano. Her eyes shot open and she scrambled to her feet. Hearing Luz fumble around, Amity jumped to her feet, startled. 

“What’s going on?” She asked, looking around the room. Amity relaxed when she noticed nothing new. Her look of confusion turned into a scowl. “What’s up with you?”

“I heard something!” Luz insisted. She leaned in closer to Amity, whose scowl only deepened. “It was a piano, coming from there.” She gestured to the door they had come in from.

A line formed between Amity’s eyebrows. She strained her ears to listen, but heard nothing save for the crackling and popping of burning wood. 

“I think you’re just on edge,” Amity crossed her arms. “You’ve been anxious ever since we arrived.”

“And I have every right to be!” Luz waved her arms around. “Have you seen this place? It’s super creepy! Someone probably died here, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few ghosts lurking around!”

Amity shook her head and crossed her arms behind her back.

“Listen, I don’t like this place either, but panicking isn’t going to help anyone,” She ran a hand through her hair. “Just try to calm down, and don’t bother me unless you actually hear something.” Amity sat back down on the armchair, kicking her feet up on a coffee table.

“But I did,” Luz pouted.

Luz was adamant she had heard something. A wave of determination washed over her. 

“And I’m going to prove it to you!” She placed her hands on her hips.

Amity pressed her lips together, and leaned forward.

“I really don’t think you--”

“I’ll be right back!” Luz turned on her heels and raced out of the room.

“--should do that,” Amity finished as she watched Luz run off. She dropped her head in her hands. “Why is she like this?” She groaned.

Lamenting the loss of the ever level-headed Lilith, not for the first time in the past two days, Amity rose to her feet, grumbling about having to accompany Luz everywhere as if she were a child. She eyed the warm fire wistfully, before reaching out and grabbing a sharp fireplace iron, just in case she might run into something unfriendly in the mansion. She rested it against her shoulder and left the room. 

Amity reentered the dining room, but it was empty. The only sign someone had been in it was the open door leading to the foyer. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone, turning on the flashlight and holding it one hand while the other held the poker.

Amity walked across the room, to the open door. She reached it and poked her head out cautiously. The foyer was empty, all the doors were closed, save for one at the other end of the hall. A line formed between her eyebrows and Amity’s shoulders tensed. 

_That door was locked when we first came through here._

Her grip on the poker tightened, and she approached the door slowly, careful to not let the floorboards creak under her feet. Once she reached the door, she looked around to ensure she was alone and stepped inside, the poker held defensively in front of her.

“Oh, hey Amity! Look what I found!” Luz stood upright from where she had been inspecting a golden harp. “Isn’t this so cool?” She plucked a string, and a sharp _twang_ echoed through the room.

Amity blinked. Surprisingly, Luz wasn’t in danger. She had found the music room. A wide variety of musical instruments were scattered throughout, some on the ground and others placed carefully on tables, including guitars, violins, cellos, and even a full drum set. Amity walked over to Luz and flicked her on the forehead.

“Ow!” Luz rubbed the sore spot. “What was that for?”

“Don’t run off like that again,” Amity narrowed her eyes. “You said it yourself, we don’t know what might be in here.” Luz gasped.

“Wow! That’s the first time you’ve acknowledged that I might be right about something!” She grinned. 

Amity wanted to throttle her. Biting back a retort, she counted to 10 before speaking again.

“That’s not what I meant,” She spoke slowly, hoping Luz would understand her.

“Eh, I’ll take it,” Luz shrugged, turning back to play with the harp once more.

Amity sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Any attempt at reasoning with Luz was a lost cause, she had learned that lesson already. She looked around and decided to do some exploring herself, all previous thoughts of needing to rest forgotten. She walked over to an acoustic guitar leaning against a stand and picked it up. Amity plucked at a few strings experimentally, tuning it so that it was just right. Once satisfied, she started to strum a song, humming softly as the tune came to her.

Across the room, Luz perked up at the sound of music and grinned ear to ear upon seeing Amity play the guitar. She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. She didn’t want to bother Amity and cause her to stop playing. Luz didn’t recognize the song, but it was really nice. She closed her eyes and bopped her head to the music, starting to get a feel for it. The music swelled as a violin and two trumpets were added to the mix. She froze. 

_Wait a second._

Luz opened her eyes, shocked at the scene before her. The aforementioned musical instruments were floating in the air, matching the tune to Amity’s strumming perfectly. Amity hadn’t noticed, her eyes were closed in concentration. Luz’s eyes widened and she called out to her companion frantically in whispered shouts.

“Psst, Amity! Amity!”

Amity opened her eyes, wondering what Luz was on about this time. She jumped as she noticed the musical instruments floating in the air around her, yet she managed to keep playing. She shook her head in disbelief. 

“This is-”

“So freaking cool!” Luz exclaimed, cutting her off.

Amity met her gaze from across the room. It was hard not to mirror the sheer joy Luz’s warm brown eyes reflected in them. She looked away, feeling slightly unnerved by the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She focused on finishing the song, and once she did, Amity looked up again. Luz was clapping and let out a loud whoop, cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Bravo, bravo!”

Amity rolled her eyes as she placed the guitar back on the stand. The song she’d played wasn’t particularly hard, and she had memorized it without too much difficulty. Her parents had forced her, along with many other things, into musical lessons when she turned five. Now that she was thinking about it, Amity had to admit that the guitar had certainly grown on her. The musical instruments drifted down from the air, back into their original positions. Luz pressed her hands to her cheeks.

“Amity, that was amazing! You’re super talented!”

“It wasn’t much,” Amity shrugged, shifting on her feet. She wasn’t used to receiving genuine, unconditional praise, especially from people she barely knew. It was an almost foreign concept to her.

“Hmm,” Luz rubbed her chin. “Y’know, earlier I swore I heard a piano, but there isn’t one in here.”

Amity pursed her lips. Sure, initially she figured Luz had just been imagining hearing things, but claiming to hear a piano and then finding a music room without one struck her as odd. She was about to speak up when she heard a loud creak. She tilted her head in confusion. Amity strained her ears to hear where it had come from, and heard the noise once more. It was coming from above where Luz was standing. Amity looked up, her eyes widening. 

There was a black grand piano hanging from the ceiling, held up by rapidly fraying rope. She had no idea how either of them hadn’t noticed it before. She looked back down at Luz, who had slipped her bag off her shoulder and was digging around for something.

_Shit._

Amity broke out into a run, pumping her arms as fast as she could.

“Luz!”

Luz looked up, bewildered by Amity’s panicked tone. 

“Amity?” She took a step back hesitantly. “Why are you--” She was cut off as Amity tackled her to the ground just as the rope snapped, the piano landing where Luz had been standing with a loud crash of shattered wood and broken keys. Luz’s head hit the floor painfully and she let out a groan. She blinked open her eyes blearily, realizing Amity was on top of her. 

“What happened?” Spots flashed as Luz tried to look around, throwing her vision out of whack.

Once Amity registered where she was, or rather, who she was on top of, she quickly scrambled to her feet. Seeing Luz wince in pain as she tried to sit up on her own, she extended a hand and pulled her to her feet.

“You were almost flattened by a piano,” Amity crossed her arms as Luz leaned against the wall of the room, rubbing her head with gritted teeth. “Maybe this will teach you to not go wandering around in places you know nothing about.”

Luz met Amity’s eyes with a resolute expression.

“Look, we both know there’s something off about this place. I thought I could find out what it was so we wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“And look where we are now!” Amity gestured to the broken piano. “You nearly got yourself killed! If I hadn’t followed you, you’d be dead right now!” 

“You’re right,” Luz winced. She looked down at her feet, scuffing her feet against the floor. “I’m sorry for running off without thinking.”

“Good,” Amity nodded, and pointed a single finger at Luz. “And don’t you dare think about pulling a stunt like that again. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Luz perked up at that, and a small smile turned the corner of her lips upward.

“Aw, Amity!” She clasped her hands together. “Were you worried about me?”

Amity flushed, taking a few steps back.

“No! I just-- I just--” Amity stuttered, grasping for words. 

“Mhm,” Luz nodded, a smug expression on her face.

“Ugh! Just shut up!” Amity huffed. “You are so annoying!”

_Why does she always take what I say completely out of context?!_

Amity grumbled to herself, avoiding eye contact with Luz until she composed herself. She ran a hand through her hair and turned back to face her.

“Look, I think we should get out of here. I don’t think it’s safe anymore, given what just happened and how both of us are feeling really unsettled by this place.”

Luz nodded and picked her backpack up off the floor, closing it before she secured it over her shoulders.

“Agreed. Even though it’s super cold outside, and there’s a headless horseman that may or may not try to kill us, it’s better than death by falling musical instruments.”

After Amity retrieved the fire poker, both passengers walked out of the music room and made their way across the foyer. As they reached the door, Luz relaxed a bit. No ghosts had appeared or tried to kill them (again), and they were practically home free. This time, Luz was the one to reach over and open the door. Before she could, however, it sprung open and someone stepped inside. Startled, Luz yelped and clung to Amity, who batted her away and pushed Luz behind her. Amity wielded the poker threateningly, pointing it at the newcomer.

“Who are you?”

The woman met Amity’s hard glare and smiled. She raised both hands placatingly.

“Now now, there’s no need for that,” The woman rested her hands behind her back, she looked completely calm. “My name is Jade, and I’m the denizen that lives here.”

Amity didn’t lower the poker. She kept it pointed at the woman, jaw set.

“Well Jade, we’ll be on our way now. If you could move out of the way, that’d be great.”

Jade stepped aside, smoothing over her pink skirt and adjusting her white blouse.

“Not a problem, though I must recommend that it’s probably better if you two spend the night in here rather than outside.” Jade brushed a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

“No thanks,” Luz piped up. “A piano almost crushed me and I’d rather live to see another day.”

Jade turned to Luz and chuckled. 

“Oh, really?” She raised an eyebrow. “You must have done something to anger Benny.”

Amity and Luz looked at each other, and then back to Jade.

“Benny?” They echoed, confused.

“Yes! He’s my roommate, and also happens to be a ghost,” Jade waved off the last part of that statement, as if it wasn’t a big deal or anything. “Anyway, he gets upset at the passengers who stop by pretty easily, especially if they go out of their way to make poorly timed jokes.”

Amity gave Luz a withering look. Luz shrunk under her gaze.

“Hey! It’s not my fault this ghost doesn’t have a sense of humor!” 

“Luz, it’s not even about being funny, which your jokes aren’t. They’re just annoying.”

Luz pouted and looked away. Amity lowered the fire poker, but still kept a firm grip on it. She cocked a head at Jade, still skeptical of her sudden appearance.

“Almost killing Luz seems a bit extreme, even if she does have a cringe-worthy sense of humor,” Amity narrowed her eyes. And why weren’t you here earlier?”

Jade’s smile didn’t falter. This unnerved Amity, but she kept her own expression neutral.

“Well, death is a bit relative for corporeal ghosts who have been around longer than you or I. And to answer your second question, I was checking the wards I placed around the mansion to protect it from Jack.”

“Jack?” Luz asked.

“The headless horseman,” Jade looked between Amity and Luz. “I assume he’s the reason you sought shelter here, correct?”

“Yeah!” Luz nodded her head rapidly. “He was _really_ scary.”

“Looks like we’re in the same boat then!” Jade’s smile widened. “I insist you both spend the night. He only roams the woods when the sun is down, and by the morning he’ll be gone.”

Luz and Amity exchanged another look. Luz nodded but Amity pressed her lips together, weighing their options.

_If we leave, it’ll be extremely cold outside and both of us only have light clothes on and have no idea how to start a fire without a lighter or something. Plus, the headless horseman is out there, and there’s no telling what he’d do with us._

Amity examined Jade, who was patiently waiting for their response.

_But, this lady doesn’t exactly scream trustworthy. She went outside in those clothes and isn’t shivering at all. Plus, she was conveniently gone when Luz was almost crushed by a piano. To add onto that, apparently there’s an irritable ghost that holds no qualms with killing either of us if we upset it again._

Amity’s mind raced, weighing the pros and cons of both options. Finally, she settled on the mansion. They would stick to her original plan-- stay here to rest for a little while, not the whole night, before setting off again. And if Jade did anything more to draw suspicion, they would leave right away. She nodded back at Luz.

“We accept!” Luz extended a hand to Jade. “Thank you!”

Jade looked at the hand distastefully, nose curled as if she had smelled something bad.

“Oh no, that won’t be necessary,” She pressed her lips together. “You can put that away now.”

Amity bit back a snort as Luz frowned, retracting her hand.

“You both must be famished! Would you like something to eat?” Jade offered.

“I think we’re--” 

“Yes please!” Luz clapped her hands together excitedly.

Amity sighed. Jade nodded and started walking down the foyer.

“Come along now,” She called over her shoulder. “I’ll let you pick out whatever you’d like from the kitchen.”

Luz followed Jade without hesitation. Amity looked around the foyer, but seeing nothing out of place, she decided to trail behind Luz, resting the poker against her shoulder as she walked.

  
  


\---- ---- ----

  
  


After eating dinner, which consisted of surprisingly tasty cup o’ noodle soup, Luz and Amity returned to the living room with the fireplace, this time joined by Jade. Luz napped but Amity remained alert. The last time she had tried to relax in this mansion resulted in Luz nearly being killed, and there was no way she’d let either of them get into danger again if she could help it. After about an hour of flipping through a book, Jade rose to her feet and yawned. 

“Well, I’m going to settle in for the night. There are bedrooms upstairs if you two decide to stay.”

Amity nodded as she left the room. Once her footsteps had faded away, she reached over to Luz and shook her awake.

“Luz, wake up.”

Luz mumbled something in her sleep, snuggling further into the armchair. Amity’s eye twitched in annoyance, and she tried again.

“Luz,” She prodded her again. “We’re leaving now, get up.”

Luz grumbled, snorting in her sleep before a well placed pinch from Amity made her jump, eyes fluttering open.

“¿Eh? ¿Qué pasó?” Luz rubbed her eyes blearily. 

Amity rolled her eyes.

“Nothing happened,” She stood from the armchair, stretching her arms. “Grab your bag, let’s ditch this place.”

“You understand Spanish?” Luz looked thrilled. She bounced eagerly to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Yeah, I’ve been taking lessons since elementary school,” Amity shrugged.

“Wow! Hardly any gringas I know speak Spanish. I’m impressed.”

“It’s not that impressive,” Amity began walking to the door, Luz next to her. “My siblings know three languages other than English, and my Mandarin still holds a lot to be desired.”

Luz shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re multilingual, super athletic, and can probably play several different instruments. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Anything I actually _want_ to do,” Amity muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Luz asked, leaning forward to hear better.

Amity’s shoulders tensed, and her grip on her backpack strap and the fire poker (it had grown on her, okay?) tightened.

“Nothing,” She bit out, staring straight ahead as they walked through the foyer. 

Luz opened her mouth as if to say something else, but held back. She didn’t want to upset Amity, just when she had actually managed to hold somewhat of a conversation with her.

They reached the entrance of the mansion. Just as Amity reached for the door handle, a voice spoke up from behind them.

“Leaving so soon?”

Luz screeched, turning and pressing her back against the wall. Amity whipped the poker out, pointing it at the ghost who hovered in front of them. He looked to be somewhere in his 20s, he was wearing a casual tunic and long pants tucked into high boots. His short brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a smug expression on his face.

“Benny, I presume?” Amity said.

“That’s my name, haunting people is my game,” He winked.

“I thought you didn’t like bad jokes or puns?” Luz tilted her head questioningly.

“From other people, yeah,” He crossed his arms. “There’s only room for one jokester in this train car, and that’s me.”

Amity raised an eyebrow. Rather than menacing or threatening, this ghost just sounded like a prick with an ego to fill. So, nothing she hadn’t dealt with before.

“Well Benny, it was lovely meeting you,” Amity rested a hand on the door handle. “But we must be going now.”

He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Go where? To get trampled by the headless horseman? You have no idea where the exit door is, and don’t have the key either.”

“There’s a key?” Luz cried, throwing her hands to her head.

Amity lowered the poker and decided to take a different approach to what she had initially planned.

“You seem to know more about this car than we do, which makes sense since you seem like an informed ghost that also happens to be a part-time comedian,” She tried to lay it on thick.

“Wow, you’re really bad at complimenting people,” Luz whispered in her ear. 

Amity refrained from punching Luz, and continued speaking.

“Any chance you know where the exit door is, or where we can find the key?”

Benny smiled, placing a finger to his chin as his face took on a contemplative look.

“Maybe I do,” He rubbed his chin. “Tell you what, if you run an errand for me I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“We’ll do it!” Luz bounced on her feet, excited to finally have a lead on a way out of this car.

“Luz!” Amity elbowed her sharply. “We don’t even know what he wants us to do!”

Luz winced, clutching her side in pain. 

“Well yeah, but it’s not like we have any idea of what we’re supposed to be doing, right?”

“So, what’ll it be?” Benny clapped his hands together, not making a sound. “Will you listen to my proposition?”

Amity sighed, feeling a slight headache coming on. 

“Fine,” She crossed her arms with a huff.

“Wonderful!” The ghost twirled in the air before creeping closer to them. Luz and Amity leaned back against the door, uncomfortable with the close contact. “I need you to go next door to the cemetery and retrieve a silver locket for me. It should be hanging from a cross inside the church.”

“That seems simple enough,” Luz perked up.

“What’s the catch?” Amity asked, eyes narrowing.

“Clever one, aren't you?” Benny hummed. “The cemetery is patrolled by a church grim. He and I aren’t on the best of terms, but if you manage to avoid running into him you’ll probably be fine.”

“What’s a church grim?” Luz asked, brows furrowing.

“A guardian spirit that is tasked with overseeing the protection of a church against vandals, thieves, and other sinners,” Benny replied.

“So it probably won’t like us taking the locket,” Amity surmised.

“Correct!” Benny snapped his fingers, though no sound came from the action.

“What do we do if he finds us?” Luz rocked on her feet nervously.

“Run away as fast as you can, I suppose,” Benny chuckled. 

“So nothing we’re not used to,” Amity muttered under her breath.

If Benny had heard her snide comment, he chose to ignore it.

“Regardless, I think you both should have a good shot at making it out unscathed. He’ll likely only come for you after you remove the locket from the church. So you only have to worry about making it back to the mansion. We have wards in place to keep out unwanted guests.”

“Sounds good,” Luz nodded and turned to Amity, offering her an elbow. “Shall we?” Luz wagged her eyebrows.

Amity scoffed. She brushed past Luz and opened the door.

“Let’s go,” She called over her shoulder as she stepped outside, zipping up her jacket.

Behind Luz, the ghost snickered and his voice took on a teasing tone.

“Not very fond of you, is she?”

“I’m working on it!” Luz protested. 

She followed Amity out of the house, ignoring Benny’s chuckles, and they made their way to the entrance of the cemetery. The temperature had dropped considerably, and their breath came out as translucent wisps, quickly dissipating into the air. Luz shivered and rubbed her arms, lamenting her fashion choice of wearing a short sleeved hoodie everywhere she went. Beside her, Amity dug her hands into her pockets. They trudged through the tall grass, feet sinking into the soft ground. Luz glanced around, thankfully there was no sign of the headless horseman. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the gates of the cemetery. The blue moon illuminated the rows of gravestones that stretched across the cemetery, as well as the white church that was located a ways inside. 

Luz and Amity walked together in silence, the only sounds were the muted padding of their feet against the ground and the chirping of crickets. Luz brought her hands to her face and cupped them together. She breathed into them to warm them up, but it didn’t work very well. Her fingers were numb with the cold and she shivered, goosebumps raised along her arms and lower legs. 

Eventually, they reached the front doors of the church. The wood was missing in some places and the white paint was chipped. The roof was a patchwork of red tiles and haphazardly lain planks of wood to hold it together. It loomed before them ominously, and Luz wasn’t feeling too great about having to break in to steal a locket, incurring the wrath of a grim in the process. Amity made to reach for the door handle, but paused. She turned to look at Luz, chewing on the bottom of her lip.

“I’ll take the locket,” Luz opened her mouth to protest but Amity held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. “Out of the two of us, I’m faster. Also, I’m 99% sure you’d stumble on your feet and face plant if you tried to take off with it.

Luz frowned. Clearly, Amity still didn’t trust her even though they were supposed to work together and look out for each other. But, knowing Amity had already made up her mind, Luz nodded.

“Okay.”

Amity gripped the door handle and turned it slowly. The door creaked open with a loud whine. Amity stepped through first, and Luz followed. Elegant wooden pews were arranged in neat rows on either side of the room, leaving space between them to form a single aisle leading to the raised platform across from them. On the wooden platform was a table covered in white tablecloth, with a few bowls and bottles of wine on top. Next to the table was a tall wooden stand, a large cross affixed to the front. The blue moon’s light shined from the windows overhead and a silver locket twinkled, hanging from one of the stems of the cross. Amity and Luz walked down the aisle, floorboards creaking under their feet as they reached the cross. 

“Once I take the locket, we have to make it back to the mansion as fast as we can. Got it?” 

Luz nodded. She watched with bated breath as Amity reached over and picked up the locket. Amity slipped it over her neck and tucked it inside her shirt so it wouldn’t bounce around as she ran. Luz and Amity jogged back to the entrance and peered outside. Seeing nothing around, they took off, with Amity leading them through the cemetery, back to the entrance. As much as Luz hated running, she appreciated the increase in body temperature that came with it as it was still freezing outside. They passed worn down gravestones and the long dead flowers that adorned them. After a few minutes, they reached the entrance of the cemetery. There was no sign of a grim, or anything to suggest that they weren’t the only ones there. 

But, as they approached the wrought iron gates, the dark shadows that were cast on the ground shifted. The shadows moved smoothly, gathering at the entrance and manifesting into a wolf-like creature with black fur and icy blue eyes. Amity and Luz skidded to a halt, panting and catching their breath.

Amity stared blankly at the grim before them. Then, she glanced at Luz.

“Well, it wasn’t nice knowing you.”

“Amity!”

The grim growled, pawing at the dirt. It’s haunches tensed and it took a defensive position, ready to pounce on them at a moment’s notice. Both passengers took a few small steps back. Luz balled her fists, trying in vain to swallow down her nerves. Her mind raced, trying to scrounge together a plan to get themselves out of this situation. As she watched the grim bare its teeth at them, an idea struck her.

“We need to split up,” Luz whispered, bending her knees in preparation to run. 

Amity gave her an incredulous look. 

“What?!” Amity hissed. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“It’s the only way,” Luz insisted. “If we split up, we have a better chance of escaping. And if it comes after one of us, the other will be able to help.”

Amity furrowed her eyebrows, contemplating her options (there weren’t very many).

“If I die, it’s on you,” Amity conceded.

“I can live with that,” Luz managed a weak smile. “On my signal, we run. Try to make it back to the mansion, and if one of us doesn’t show, the other will try to get help from Jade.”

Amity nodded, and Luz decided to take a page out of her book.

“Now!” She yelled, kicking up dirt as she took off. Amity turned and ran in the opposite direction.

The grim hesitated for a moment, before the dark shadows that had created it reformed into two grims rather than one. Looking over their shoulders, Luz and Amity noticed this and cursed. Both pressed on, quicker than before, in an attempt to outrun the grim wolves. The grims chased them, their howls reverberating through the cemetery. 

Luz broke off from the path and ran across the graves of the dead, silently apologizing to the people she was trampling on in her best efforts to escape. She could hear the grim wolf tailing her growing closer. Her feet thundered against the ground and she made a sharp turn, towards a narrow gap in the fencing of the cemetery. It was in the opposite direction of the mansion, but she figured she could hopefully lose the grim in the forest and loop back around. 

Luz dove through the fence, tucking and rolling to her feet as she continued running. Her muscles ached but she pushed on, not wanting to become the grim’s next meal. As she broke through the trees, she gasped at the figure that materialized before her.

The headless horseman was back, this time wielding a flaming red sword in his right hand and holding his pumpkin head in his left. He twirled the weapon skillfully in his fingers. 

“Duck!” He called out, and threw the sword as if it were a javelin right at her.

Luz yelped and hit the dirt, her skin scraping against the ground. Behind her, the wolf grim whimpered in pain as the sword pierced it’s shadowy body. Luz raised her head, eyes widening as she watched the grim fade away until there was nothing but a sword on fire left wedged into the ground.

“Wh-- Why did you save me?” Luz looked to the horseman in confusion.

“Well, you were about to get mauled, so I thought it would be good to lend you a hand,” He slid off from the horse, rubbing it gently on the nose. The Horseman walked over to Luz and pulled the sword from the ground, sheathing it into a scabbard hanging on his waist. As he did, the flames died out. 

“The name’s Jack, the horse is Ichabod, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  
  


Luz shook her head in disbelief.

“I don’t get it,” Luz sat up, a line forming between her brows. “Weren’t you trying to kill me before?”

Jack chuckled, the sound coming from the pumpkin, though it’s carved mouth didn’t move..

“Not at all,” He clasped his hands behind his back. “I was trying to help, but you and your friend got spooked and ran off before I could. Are you familiar with the phrase, appearances can be deceiving?”

Luz swallowed and nodded. She rose unsteadily to her feet. Her sore legs were now covered in scratches, along with her arms, from skidding across the ground.

“Speaking of your friend, where is she?” He looked around. “You didn’t get separated from each other, did you?”

Luz’s throat dried up, and her stomach dropped.

_Amity._

“We split up when the grim wolf found us,” Luz managed as she rubbed the back of her neck. “She’s a better runner than I am, so hopefully she made it back to the mansion.”

The eyes of the Jack O’Lantern dimmed.

“You better hope she didn’t.”

“What?” Luz tensed. “Why?”

“There is a malevolent spirit that haunts the mansion, and it takes the lives of any passengers that have the misfortune of spending the night.”

“Benny?” Luz scratched the back of her head. “I mean, he did almost flatten me with a piano, but he didn’t seem outwardly evil.”

“Let me guess,” Jack leaned forward. “You met a denizen named Jade, and were asked to retrieve a silver locket from the church cemetery.”

Luz’s eyes widened and her chest tightened. She nodded. 

“The truth is that she is a vengeful ghost that can split her spirit into several different manifestations, this Benny being one of them. She died a long time ago, in a fatal car accident caused by her jealous sister.”

Luz gasped.

_The newspaper. What had been the name of the victim?_

The words from the article flashed before her eyes.

_Elizabeth J. Renneker._

_J, as in Jade._

“Oh no,” Luz started to hyperventilate. “No no no,” She looked at Jack. “Please! You have to help me save her!” Luz tried to swallow down her panic and focus on the task at hand.

“I’m afraid I cannot come with you to the mansion as the wards bar my entry,” Luz’s face dropped in disappointment. “But, that doesn’t mean I can’t provide you with some assistance.”

Jack drew his sword once more, and the blade burst into flames as he did. He flipped it so that the hilt was extended to Luz and offered it to her. Luz looked at it for a moment before tentatively grasping it with her right hand. She held it away from her body so as to not burn her eyebrows off. The heat warmed her considerably.

“No need to worry about the flames or piercing yourself with the sword. It is meant to purge otherworldly spirits, and as such it causes no harm to passengers.”

Luz nodded, fingers trembling as she held the sword.

“You better get going now. If you’re too late, your friend will be gone from this world.”

“Thank you,” Luz choked out, heart hammering against her chest.

“Thank me again if you both make it out alive. I’ll wait for you where we first met.”

Luz turned and raced off into the woods, using the thin trail of smoke from the mansion’s chimney as a guide as she weaved her way through the trees. Luz didn’t know what she would do with herself if she didn’t save Amity on time. Despite her less than friendly attitude, Amity had helped her several times within the past few days. She didn’t know what she would do without her in the train. More than anything else, she dreaded the thought of being alone, with only her own thoughts as company.

_Hold on Amity, I’m on my way._

  
  


\---- ---- ----

  
  


Amity was not okay.

After slamming the door shut behind her, she collapsed inside the foyer of the mansion, completely exhausted. She was drenched in cold sweat and she caught her breath as she lay prone on the floor. Her heart rate slowed into a steady beat. The grim had almost caught her, but just as she reached the edge of the mansion property, it slammed into an invisible boundary, flying back several feet with a pained howl. Amity had scraped by with the skin of her teeth, and she felt lucky to be alive. She sat up from the floor, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she looked around. 

There was no one in sight, and all of the doors branching off to different parts of the mansion were closed, saved for the one that led into the dining room. She contemplated waiting in the foyer for Luz to show up, but decided to look around to see if she had somehow made it back before she did. She rose to her feet, stretching her arms above her head. Amity reached around her neck and pulled out the locket. It was smooth to the touch and heart shaped, with a small clasp on the left side. She cradled it in her fingers and her grip around it tightened.

_That stupid ghost better have answers._

She dropped the locket, letting it rest against her chest. Amity untied and retied her half pony-tail, walking over to the open door and glanced inside the dining room. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned on the flashlight, as the lights were still out. The room was empty, though oddly enough the newspaper Luz had found earlier on one of the chairs was now on the table. Amity quirked an eyebrow, in question but shrugged it off. 

_Maybe I misremembered where Luz left it._

Amity walked across the dining room and to the door on the other side. The door knob was on the floor, where Amity had dropped it earlier. It was cracked open and she peeked inside. She spotted the denizen, Jade, speaking in hushed tones with Benny. Amity leaned in closer to listen.

“I don’t understand why we just didn’t kill the brats when they first walked in,” Benny huffed, crossing his arms.

“Patience my friend,” Jade smiled devilishly. “It’s all about the thrill of the hunt, is it not? After we sent them to retrieve the locket, both should be tired, so killing them shouldn’t be any problem.”

“Yeah,” Benny grinned. “Though, I do hope the grim got to one of them. It’s always hilarious to see a passenger crying over the death of their companion.”

Amity’s eyes widened in horror. Bile rose to the back of her throat and she held back from throwing up the cup o’noodles she had wolfed down earlier. Luz wasn’t here, which was good, but she had to get the hell out of here and tell her of Jade and Benny’s true intentions. Before she moved to turn away, Benny leaned into Jade and was absorbed into her. Amity was bewildered.

_What the--_

A bright flash of light illuminated the room, and Jade’s appearance had substantially changed. Her skin was ghostly pale and her hair was longer, halfway down her back and dark brown in color. Jade’s clothes became tattered, spotted with faded bloodstains. Her eyes glowed sky blue, something Amity realized when Jade met her gaze. 

_Shit._

Amity slammed the door shut and raced off, heart pounding. Her ears thrummed and she had never felt more terrified in her entire life. She made it back into the main foyer and ran to the door leading outside. Amity grabbed the doorknob and twisted it violently, but it didn’t budge.

“It’s locked,” A warbled voice called out behind her. 

Amity, despite everything in her screaming at her not to, turned around.

Jade was standing a few steps away from Amity. She cocked her head.

“Where’s your friend, Amity?”

Amity shivered. She pocketed her phone, turning off the light. The blue moon shining down from above lit the room enough so that she could see. She wielded the fire poker in both hands, pointing it at the spirit before her. 

“Stay back,” Amity warned.

Jade chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

“Or what?” Jade stepped forward. “Are you going to poke me?”

Amity didn’t say anything, choosing to remain silent. Her mind whirled as she tried to piece a plan together.

_The front door’s a no go. I’ll have to make it past her and break open the windows that lead to the backyard. Hopefully I can find Luz outside and we can make it out of here together._

“If you’re thinking about making it out of here alive, don’t bother. You wouldn’t be the first to try, and I always catch passengers unlucky enough to find themselves here.”

“So this locket doesn’t mean anything to you?” 

Amity held the locket in one hand, towards Jade. Jade’s lips pressed together.

“A personal artifact, but any sense of attachment I previously held for it vanished a long time ago,” She spat with barely concealed bitterness.

Amity raised an eyebrow. If she was going to get out of this hellish situation, she’d have to outsmart the ghost. She observed Jade’s worse for wear appearance.

“What happened to you?” Amity asked.

Jade’s face contorted, and loud peals of high-pitched laughter echoed through the foyer.

“I died,” Her eyes had a hard glint to them. “Because my sister envied that I was everything she could never be.”

_Sister?_

Amity thought back to the newspaper Luz had found, and how it had moved from the chair to the table. What had been the name of the victim? Then, everything clicked.

She was facing the spirit of Elizabeth Jade Renneker.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Elizabeth,” Amity said.

The ghost snorted.

“No you’re not. You just want to avoid certain death,” Jade grinned. “Rest assured, I’ll make it quick.”

Well, that wasn’t good. Amity decided to change tactics.

“I don’t understand,” She tentatively lowered the poker. “If your sister killed you, why would you stick around and kill innocent people who have nothing to do with you?”

“Life is unfair, and the afterlife, even more so. I’m stuck and cannot pass on to the next life. One grows quite bored after spending years alone, that’s why I created Benny. And if I didn’t get to live out the rest of my life, then anyone who crosses me shouldn’t get to either.”

An idea struck Amity. 

“I’m sure there’s a way for you to pass on, maybe I can---”

“Silence!” Jade yelled, eyes alight with unfiltered anger. 

A blast of air swept Amity off her feet and she slammed into the door with a thud. She tried to get to her feet, but the painful throbbing of her head inhibited her from doing so. She settled for crawling along the floor, towards the windows on the other side of the room. Soft footsteps padded towards her and a hard kick to her side made Amity gasp, her eyes watering.

“Foolish girl, I should’ve killed you and your friend when you first walked through the door,” She nudged Amity onto her back with her foot. “Though I must admit, it will be fun seeing the color fade from your eyes as I consume your essence, after crushing your hopes of escape.”

Amity tried to squirm away, but Jade knelt down and held her in place with a vice-like grip around her neck. Amity wheezed for air, clawing at the pale hands that slowly tightened around her.

“Resistance is futile,” Jade smiled. “Now then, off to sleep you go. Believe me, this process is far more painful if you remain awake.”

Amity eyes widened and she let out a strangled scream. 

Suddenly, the front door burst open, falling to the floor in two singed pieces. Luz, wielding the sword of the headless horseman, stepped through.

“There is no need to fear, for the mighty Luzura is here!” She proclaimed.

Amity wanted to kill her right then and there.

Jade looked up and visibly paled upon seeing the sword. Her grip on Amity loosened slightly. 

“Don’t come any closer if you want your friend alive by the end of the night,” She warned.

Luz noticed Amity sprawled on the floor with Jade’s fingers wrapped around her neck. Her expression darkened, nostrils flaring. She tightened her grip and pointed the sword at Jade.

“Let her go,” Luz growled.

Jade placed a finger to her lips in thought, the other hand still holding Amity down.

“Of course,” She smiled, eyes glowing brighter. “Right after I inhale her essence.”

Jade turned back and leaned back down to Amity, opening her mouth. As she did however, Amity was able to take advantage of her loosened grip and pull Jade’s fingers painfully back. The ghost wailed in pain, holding her hand to her chest. Amity kicked out a leg, sending Jade sprawling backwards and rose unsteadily to her feet. 

“That’s for almost murdering me,” Amity scowled.

Luz was shocked. She had seen Amity pull off some pretty cool things in the past two days, but this was completely badass. She let out a loud whoop.

“Way to go, Amity! You’re killing it queen!”

Amity rolled her eyes. Could Luz remain serious for longer than a minute? She doubted it.

“Not so fast,” Jade snarled. She rose to her feet, snapping her fingers back into place. 

Amity recoiled in disgust. She took a few steps back, picking up the fire poker where it had fallen to the floor. However, Jade’s attention was directed towards Luz.

“That little sword won’t help you if you can’t see me,” With a smirk, Jade vanished into thin air.

“Uh oh,” Luz gulped.

“Luz, stay right there!,” Amity reached out to her but winced as she felt her left shoulder throb with pain. 

Luz shook her head.

“No, you’re hurt. I’ll come to you,” Luz made as if to take a step forward but was swept back with a sudden gust of wind. “Woah!” Her back slammed against the door and she let out a grunt as she slid to the floor, eyes closing shut.

Amity gasped. A wave of adrenaline surged through her and she took off across the room and knelt down beside Luz. She rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Luz! Are you okay?”

Luz groaned. She cracked an eye open and tried to sit up.

“Why?” She managed a weak smile. “Going soft on me, Blight?”

Amity scoffed, shaking her head in exasperation.

“In your dreams,” She shoved Luz back, and the injured girl let out a hiss of pain. Amity’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Luz gasped. 

“As sickeningly sweet as this is to watch, I’m afraid your time is up.”

Amity and Luz looked up, seeing Jade hovering five feet in the air, embroiled in blue flames. Amity helped Luz to her feet, and Luz scooped up the sword where it had fallen to the ground. 

With a wave of her hands, Jade unleashed a torrent of flames towards them. Amity shielded her face with her arms, preparing for the onslaught of heat that was sure to follow. Yet, it never came. She opened her eyes and Luz was standing in front of her, wielding the flaming red sword as if she had just sliced it through Jade’s attack (she had). Amity gaped. As the blue flames dissipated, Jade was nowhere to be found.

“Let’s get out of here,” Luz voice trembling, still shaken from almost dying (again).

Amity nodded and moved towards the door, but as she did, she was once again swept off her feet with another gust of wind. She flew back against the wall adjacent to the door. She was dragged upward, about five feet up. Amity felt invisible hands wrap around her throat and gasped for air.

_Not again._

She heard Luz cry out her name through distorted hearing. Spots flickered in her eyes. She was losing consciousness fast. As everything began to fade to black, she felt an icy cold essence enter her body through her nose and mouth.

_That’s… not… good._

Amity’s body dropped to the ground with a loud thud that echoed through the room. 

“No!” Luz cried out. 

Luz raced over to Amity’s prone form and knelt down beside her, sword still clutched in her hand. She raised two fingers and pressed them to her neck, feeling for a pulse. After a moment, she felt it. It was faint, but it was still there. Suddenly, Amity’s eyes flickered open.

“Amity!” Luz smiled tearfully. “You’re okay.”

“I am not Amity,” A sinister voice rasped from Amity’s lips. “Your friend is gone.”

Luz fell backwards in shock. She held the sword defensively in front of her as Amity-- no, not Amity-- rose to her feet. Her eye color had changed from warm amber to light blue. Her body was bathed in an ethereal glow, the moonlight enhancing her features, making them sharper.

“No,” Luz whispered. 

She felt hot tears stream down her cheeks. Her heart broke into two.

“Face it passenger,” The disembodied voice drawled. “You have failed to save your friend, and couldn’t even manage to save yourself. How pathetic.”

Luz screamed, rising to her feet in blind rage, and charged at the ghoul who had possessed Amity. The ghoul tried to jump out of the way, but Luz was faster. The flaming red sword pierced Amity’s stomach, exiting the other side of her body. The ghoul was rejected from Amity’s body, flying back and dissolving into the air with a piercing shriek.

Amity’s body collapsed to the ground, but not before Luz was able to reach out and break her fall. Luz fell to her knees, cradling Amity’s head in her lap. The girl was unresponsive, and breathed shallowly. Luz felt tears fall, tasting them on her lips and watched as they landed on Amity’s face. Luz pressed her hands to her face as sobs wracked her body. 

“Please wake up,” Luz’s breathing hitched. “I just don’t want to be alone anymore. I promise I’ll listen to you more from now on… I’m so sorry.”

After a few moments of agonizing silence, a soft hand reached up and pulled Luz’s hands away from her face.

“I’m okay,” Amity murmured, voice shaky. 

Luz threw her arms around Amity and hugged her. Amity tensed, both at the sudden contact but also at the surge of pain that came with it. 

“Please… stop,” She wheezed.

Luz recoiled, hands held up apologetically.

“My bad!” Luz rubbed the back of her neck. “I was just happy to see you’re awake.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” Amity sat up with a hiss, her entire body ached. “Let’s just get the hell out of here before either of us nearly die again.”

Luz nodded and helped Amity to her feet. Both made sure they hadn’t lost any of the belongings from their backpacks and supported each other as they made for the broken front door. A thought occurred to Amity now that she had time to breathe.

“Wait, how did you get the sword?”

“The headless horseman gave it to me!” Luz grinned. “Turns out he was an ally all along. And, I think he knows how we can get out of this car!”

“Just our luck,” Amity grumbled. “We run away from help straight into danger. This entire incident could’ve been avoided if I hadn’t dragged us to the mansion.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Luz met Amity’s eyes. “Neither of us knew what to expect in this car. And to be fair, him chasing us down wasn’t exactly the best first impression.”

Amity hummed in response, but didn’t say anything else.

Bruised and battered, they exited the mansion, making their way towards the headless horseman that awaited them at the edge of the clearing. Jack’s flames glowed brightly at them as they approached.

“You’re alive!” He waved them over. “Come now, climb on. We have a long way to go to the exit door, and neither of you look in good enough shape to walk.”

Luz was the first to mount the large horse, sitting behind Jack. Amity was a bit more dubious. Luz offered her a hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Amity took it. Luz helped pull her onto the horse, right behind her. 

“You might want to hold onto something,” Jack called out.

Luz nodded, grasping the back of Jack’s coat firmly with both hands. Amity tentatively did the same with Luz’s thin jacket. With a frown, Luz reached behind her and placed Amity’s hands around her waist. 

“C’mon now, you don’t want to fall off do you?”

Amity didn’t answer her. She just leaned into Luz, too bone-tired to care. 

“Wake me up when we get there,” She murmured.

Luz tensed as Amity’s warm breath ghosted the back of her neck. She moved one hand to hold onto Jack and let the other settle on Amity’s hands wrapped around her.

“Will do.”

Jack flicked the reins and the charcoal black horse neighed, taking off into the woods. 

High above them, the blue moon loomed larger than life, casting an effervescent light against the dark shadows of the night.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Link to song that appears in the chapter [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDrudZMcDak)
> 
> Follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/godless_glasses), [tumblr](https://lexa-alycia.tumblr.com), [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/godless.glasses/)


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